Students notice decreased reliability of Richmond’s public transit system
VCU students and Richmonders have reported increased delays in Richmond bus service, impacting commutes. Photo by Anthony Duong.
Jessica Vigil, Contributing Writer
Joshua Miklos, Contributing Writer
Richmond is known for its free public transportation, ranked fourth in the country by Consumer Affairs in 2024. However, VCU students and other community members have recently reported decreased reliability in the two main systems, the regular GRTC line and the Bus Rapid Transit line, or the Pulse, which travels up and down Broad Street.
Mikhail Edwards, a third-year kinetic imaging student, said the schedule often does not adhere to the actual arrivals of the buses, making it increasingly difficult for him to correctly plan his own schedule and arrive on time. He reported being late for work and class due to the recent unreliability of public buses.
“With work, timeliness is a big thing, and I do try to be on time as much as possible,” Edwards said. “If the bus doesn’t come, then it causes me to be late.”
Scott Freese, a fourth-year psychology student, said he would get to the bus stop 10-15 minutes earlier than the arrival time on map apps, then check the GRTC app to see where the bus is, only to find out there would be no arrivals in the next 30 minutes.
Freese said he often has to resort to walking or spending money on transportation.
Lena Elliot, a third-year English and gender, sexuality and women’s studies student, said she began noticing more delays after the snowstorm in January, and they continued after the snow melted. She said work becomes more difficult for everyone when the buses become unreliable for the few.
“If your coworkers are using the bus and they can’t get there on time, that makes work harder for you,” Elliott said.
Elliott said she was asked by her boss to prove the buses were making her late to work. She said she rode the bus with her coworker to support her story and took screenshots of the bus arrival times along with time-stamped photos of her at the bus stop.
“I think that more people should be taking and caring about public transportation. I think that it’s a way for us to connect with one another and use less gas emissions,” Elliott said. “I think about people who are commuting to and from work from parts of the city that the bus travels out to. I wonder if those guys are okay.”
Many students rely on free public transportation to get around.
Esther Bilderback, a fourth-year English student, said the bus is the only way she gets around campus and the city.
“Public transit is really helpful and wonderful, but if it’s not reliable, it defeats the point of what it’s going for,” Bilderback said.
Bilderback said she is still appreciative of the free fare.
“I think that honestly makes up for a lot of inconveniences,” Bilderback said.
Students who do not ride the bus have heard similar complaints from community members regarding the lack of buses and long wait times.
Emily McFarland, a fourth-year sociology and psychology student, said they heard yells not “out of anger, but frustration” from bus riders waiting with their groceries at the stop near Kroger on Lombardy Street.
“There were a bunch of people waiting on the northbound stop, and then one of the guys said, ‘Are you kidding me. Come on, we’ve been waiting out here for 30 minutes, like, we saw two southbound buses go by,’” McFarland said.
Richmond’s free public transit is important for everyone, according to McFarland.
“Even if they’re not utilizing it, it’s what keeps the city going,” McFarland said.
Ashley Potter, communication manager of GRTC, along with members of the GRTC board, refused multiple requests for comment from The Commonwealth Times.
GRTC had a 30% decrease in customer complaints according to customer service in January, according to that month’s Board of Directors meeting. Updated statistics are unavailable to the public at this time.
